Jean Cocteau's Thomas the Impostor is a strange and brilliant little book. Published in 1923, it feels less like a traditional war story and more like a fable set against the chaos of the First World War.

The Story

The story follows Guillaume Thomas, a teenager who is infatuated with a princess serving as a nurse. To get closer to her and the 'glamour' of the war effort, he claims to be the nephew of a famous French general. To his surprise, everyone—from officials to soldiers—eagerly accepts his lie. They give him a uniform and a mission. Thomas, now 'Colonel,' gets to play soldier for real, driving to the front lines in a luxurious car, his fantasy made concrete by the collective desire for his story to be true.

Why You Should Read It

What hooked me is how Cocteau captures the absurd theater of war. Thomas isn't a malicious fraud; he's a mirror. The people around him are so hungry for heroes, for connections, for a break from the horror, that they build his lie for him. The book asks a piercing question: in a world gone mad, who is more foolish—the boy playing a role, or the adults who enthusiastically cast him in it? Cocteau's prose is crisp and visual, making the surreal situation feel utterly believable.

Final Verdict

This is perfect for readers who love historical fiction that plays with big ideas, or fans of stories about identity and performance. If you enjoyed the ironic detachment of Catch-22 or the elegant moral puzzles of The Great Gatsby, you'll find a kindred spirit here. It's a quick, haunting read that sticks with you, a reminder of the powerful stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the senseless.